By the middle of the nineteenth century, most of the active pottery shops had become full-scale factories. Expansion and mechanization led to changes in the appearance of stoneware products. Jars and crocks became flat-based and straight-sided,
a form more quickly and easily made. This stoneware jar exemplifies factory techniques. Notice the "ear" handles, which are both easier to shape and less likely to break than the open loop handles of earlier wares. Late nineteenth-century
stoneware also differs from earlier products in that time-consuming freehand painting gave way to faster decorative techniques. Simple slip-trailed designs as well as stenciled decoration came into general use. Although this jar retains
a few summarily painted lines, the stenciled decoration is dominant.